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Portland identifies options to keep two referendums on November ballot

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Updated: 2:56 PM EDT Aug 10, 2017

Portland identifies options to keep two referendums on November ballot

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Updated: 2:56 PM EDT Aug 10, 2017

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WEBVTT KATHLEEN: RIGHT NOW CITYOFFICIALS SAY THEY AREAPOLOGIZING FOR UNINTENTIONALLYGIVING THE GROUP MISINFORMATION IT SEEMS FAIR RENT PORTLAND WILLNOT SEE THEIR RENT STABILIZATIONPROPOSAL ON THE BALLOT INNOVEMBER CITY OFFICIALS SAY THERE WAS AMISTAKE IN THE DEADLINE PROVIDEDTO THEM BY THE CLERK'S OFFICEFOR WHEN THEY NEEDED TO GETTHE2500 SIGNATURES IN.THEY HAND DELIVERED THESIGNATURES TODAY.THIS WOULD NOT ALLOW ENOUGH TIMEFOR THE TEN-DAY NOTICE REQUIREDFOR A PUBLIC HEARING AND THENTHE MANDATORY 90-DAYS NEEDEDFOLLOWING THE PUBLIC HEARINGBEFORE THE VOTE WE HAVE REACHED OUT TO THE GROUPBUT HAVE NOT HEARD BACK.WE SPOKE TO THEM EARLIER ABOUTTHE PROPOSAL AND TO THE HEAD OFSOUTHERN MAINE LANDLORDASSOCIATION ABOUT THEIRDIFFERENT TAKES ON RENT CONTROLIN THE CITY.>> PEOPLE LIKE ME ARE STARTINGTO FEEL THE PINCH WITH THESERENTS GOING UP, AND PEOPLE LIKEME HAVE TO MOVE OUT TO ANOTHERPLACE.AND WE'RE THE PEOPLE THAT HAVEBEEN HERE, THAT HAVE HELPEDBUILD THE CITY, AND NOW ALL OF ASUDDEN IT'S LIKE, SORRY YOU >> HOUSING POLICY IS EXTREMELYCOMPLICATED.AND THAT JUST DOESN'T WORKREPORTER: WE ARE TOLD CITY STAFFAND COUNCIL WILL BE LOOKING INTO

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Portland identifies options to keep two referendums on November ballot

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Updated: 2:56 PM EDT Aug 10, 2017

PORTLAND, Maine —

The city of Portland said staff have identified a possible option to keep two citizen referendums on the Nov. 7 ballot.

Supporters of an initiative to cap rent rates in Portland turned in signatures on Monday to get the referendum on the ballot.

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The group said they were told by the city clerk's office that Aug. 7 was the deadline to turn in the petitions.

Late Monday afternoon, the city said the referendum and another citizen initiative regarding zoning would not be eligible for the November election because it does not meet certain requirements under a city ordinance.

The city said in order for a question to appear on the ballot the City Council must set a public hearing date on each initiative at its next regularly scheduled meeting after the petition signatures have been validated by the City Clerk; give 10 days notice of that scheduled hearing; hold that hearing and submit the initiative to the voters at least 90 days before the next regularly scheduled election.

City officials blamed an oversight in the city clerk's office.

City officials said Thursday they have identified two potential options to get the referendums on the ballot.

The first would require no action by the City Council because city staff have discovered that the 90-day requirement between the public hearing and election is actually void.

In 2011, the council made changes to the city ordinance that governs citizen initiative referendums to increase the 60-day requirement between the hearing and the election to 90 days.

However, the change was not placed on the ballot to be ratified by residents through a referendum, which is required by the Maine Constitution when making changes to the citizen initiative referendum process.

This would mean that a 1991 version of the ordinance is in effect.

This was discovered by staff when researching whether or not the council could act to change the 90-day requirement to 60 days, the city said.

The second option would be for the City Council to enact the referendums with a delayed effective date and then send both questions to voters as an advisory question.

Councilors would then decide whether to keep the ordinances based on the result of the vote.

For both of these options, the council would set a public hearing for September 6 at its August 21 council meeting.